FDA Approves #Dexcom Software with Artificial Pancreas Algorithm

Dexcom announced today the availability of updated software that will improve the accuracy of the system.

We are Nightscout users and use two receivers. One is approved only for adult use and the other is approved for pediatric use. Because this software update is approved for users 18 years and older, the pediatric receiver can not be updated with this new software.

We will therefore be using both receivers, each with a different algorithm. We should be in a good position to compare and assess the improvement in accuracy, even though we’d prefer just to update both with the new software.

If you are planning to update, please note that the update will require a restart of the sensor and will clear out all historical data. So download your data first if you want to keep it. Also, the update cannot be done from a Mac.

SAN DIEGO, Nov 06, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Dexcom, Inc., DXCM, +0.45% a leader in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved new software for the Dexcom G4® PLATINUM CGM. The new Software 505 features the same advanced algorithm as used in artificial pancreas research around the world. The software will impact the performance of the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM, already considered the most accurate CGM system on the market today. The software will be made available free of charge to adult patients using the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM.

“Patients will be able to go online and download the software, or they will receive the software preloaded onto their Dexcom receiver with new orders,” said Terrence Gregg, CEO, Dexcom. “This latest software enhancement to the Dexcom G4 Platinum will make the performance level comparable to episodic blood glucose finger sticks; this is a significant step in the evolution of CGM becoming the standard-of-care over blood glucose meters for people with diabetes.”

Now, Dexcom G4 PLATINUM is the first and only CGM system on the market with a single-digit MARD (Mean Absolute Relative Difference) measurement, below 10 percent. MARD is the standard industry measurement of accuracy, where a lower MARD reflects higher accuracy. With the new software, healthcare providers, patients and caregivers will now have glucose readings from a sensor that are closest yet to lab accuracy. The combination of the new software with the CGM advantages of real-time trends, speed and direction provides a complete picture of the patient’s glucose activity.

Diabetes affects 29.1 million Americans and is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.3 With diabetes, the body cannot produce or use the hormone insulin effectively, causing a buildup of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. It is estimated that approximately 79 million Americans over the age of 20 are at risk for developing diabetes, largely due to obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet.2 People with diabetes who take insulin must monitor their blood glucose levels frequently. Uncontrolled glucose can cause health complications and even death.